Meet Kuushy: Sit your way to better health

Poor posture can lead to a whole range of problems – from neck and back pains to even heartburn and constipation – one Singaporean startup is aiming to help working adults alleviate these problems by adopting healthier sitting habits. TACNIQ, a pioneering technology company that specialises in advanced tactile sensor technology, has unveiled Kuushy, a smart cushion with an AI-enabled Posture Coach designed to improve posture habits and promote a healthier lifestyle.

Lower back pain affects about eight in 10 working adults in Singapore, and clinicians have noted increased number of patients developing sedentary-related musculoskeletal conditions since the onset of work-from-home arrangements amid the pandemic.

Kuushy addresses the growing issue of poor posture and its impact on physical health by offering real-time posture monitoring and personalised posture correction coaching. Leveraging TACNIQ's tactile sensor technology and AI pattern recognition, the smart seat cushion discreetly tracks and recognises seven common sitting postures, and provides gentle reminders for users to correct their posture and recommend personalised stretches based on users' habits. Kuushy's 3 steps to better back health include:

• Intervene: Sensors detect and analyse the user's posture in real-time. Timely reminders are sent to users via app notifications, offering guidance on posture correction.
• Motivate: Kuushy's app tracks user progress and sets personal goals, motivating users to continue good posture practices.
• Train: Personalised stretching exercises are recommended based on historical sitting information.

Users can begin using Kuushy by laying the smart cushion on their seat and using the Kuushy app to pair their smartphone with the cushion. Once seated, embedded sensors automatically send pressure information to the paired device, which evaluates the sitter's posture using an AI algorithm.

Users will receive a gentle reminder with recommendations to adjust their posture, helping them maintain healthy sitting habits. The app encourages users to adopt more healthy sitting habits over time by showing hours of good posture achieved over weeks and months. Kuushy also prompts users to perform stretches and exercises, tailored to their sitting habits.

Kuushy has plans to integrate with healthcare tracking apps, for a seamless and holistic healthcare experience. The cushion is designed to work for a whole week on a full charge. Recharging is as simple as plugging it into a USB charger via the USB C port.

Aashish Mehta, CEO, TACNIQ: "Back strain caused by poor posture is something that almost everyone experiences. As people today spend more time seated, we saw an opportunity to apply our research to alleviate a problem that is growing  globally. Kuushy allows working adults to improve health habits without making major changes to our lifestyle, by turning work hours into 'back health hours'. This in turn enables us to maintain an active lifestyle and cultivate good health habits in the long term."

www.kuushy.com
www.tacniq.ai